


More Than You Can Imagine

by Dreamsinlilac



Category: The Worst Witch (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Drama, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-22
Updated: 2018-02-26
Packaged: 2019-03-08 06:17:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13452270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamsinlilac/pseuds/Dreamsinlilac
Summary: Deep down Hecate knows the friendship she has with Ada isn't enough, she wants more. Over the years she has built her own coping mechanism to deal with her desires but what if she didn't need that anymore?  What if there was a chance for them?  But then, what if it all goes wrong?  Where will that leave them? Is it worth the risk of losing everything?There's so many questions, so many uncertainties and so much at stake, perhaps more than anyone can imagine.





	1. Bedtime Thinking

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, you might know me from several (!) HB/Drill stories in the world of TWW 1998. And while they will always be my number ones, I have recently discovered Hackle. promptly fell down the rabbit hole of a new ship and couldn't resist this idea. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy.

In a school full of chattering students, multiple cats, occasional frogs, toads, bats, even talking tortoises, silence was a rarity. However, barring a crisis, once lights were out the air within the castle walls became peaceful, tranquil even. In many ways, it was as if the magical atmosphere itself needed to take a break to prepare itself for the more active hours ahead. 

Of course, not all of the castle inhabitants were loud, Hecate being a prime example. She moved silently and, barring an emergency, spoke in controlled modulated tones. Even her familiar was the quietest of all the cats. Yes, Hecate relished quietness because it was only then that she could fully allow her internal voices, her thoughts, her hopes, her wishes, her emotions, her desires to speak.

A quick look at her watch told her it was almost midnight, time to put away her marking and go to bed. And contrary to what other people may assume, Hecate loved her bed because it was in there that she did her best thinking. 

With a snap of her fingers, she was out of her dress and into her nightgown. In slippered feet, she moved over to the sink where she cleaned her teeth, washed her face and gently brushed out her loose hair. 

_“What will it be tonight?”_ , she asked herself in the mirror, shaking her head at her own foolishness, Really it was only ever one thing. The scenario may vary somewhat but the overall subject hadn’t changed for many years now. 

She climbed under the thin blanket and lay back against her pillows, thinking briefly as she did so how disappointed her old governess would be in her. 

_“Hecate Hardbroom, an imagination will get you nowhere in life. It would be more in your line to focus on your magic and fill your brain with fact, not fantasy.”_

Hecate had tried, truly she had, but her imagination was too active, too strong. And besides, she had learned the magical facts she needed, the theories, the spells, the history, the rules. Not only had she learned them, she had excelled in them. So, if occasionally she indulged the whims of the right-hand side of her brain, really, where was the harm? Especially if nobody else knew.

And nobody did. Hecate’s private thoughts were hers alone. She doubted anyone would believe she had them anyway, not anymore. Others would assume that even while sleeping her brain was filled with images of orderly potions ingredients and new ideas for disciplinary tactics, not filled with dreams and fantasies of what she could never have in reality. A life filled with understanding, companionship, support, love. 

And Ada. 

It wasn’t difficult to pinpoint when it had started, within six months of coming to Cackle’s if Hecate’s calculations were correct, she had well and truly fallen for Ada. How could she not? Ada was clever, a veritable fountain of magical knowledge which to Hecate’s shame, had surprised her in the beginning having assumed that her principal’s outwardly kind,soft demeanour indicated a lack of serious intellect. How wrong she had been. Not that Ada wasn’t kind, she was kindness personified, a genuinely good, hugely compassionate person who cared greatly about others, including Hecate. Over the years they had formed a tentative relationship that gradually evolved into a close friendship that Hecate treasured more than even she could articulate.

_“She’s beautiful inside and out.”_ Hecate’s active mind correctly reminded her. As well as her kindness and generosity, Ada’s beautiful skin, her smile and bright blue eyes had well and truly captured Hecate’s attention, proving to be quite the distraction on many occasions. 

Thinking back to just a couple of hours previously when she had seen that smile and those dazzling eyes focused on her alone when Ada had said goodnight, Hecate allowed her thoughts to flow, again asking herself the question, _"Which one tonight?"_

She had built a significant library of fantasies to choose from. She dismissed the two of them all alone in the school immediately, it was a favourite but she had indulged in that one the night before. No, this time they would be taking a trip. The Lake District in summer maybe? No, even better, Scotland over the Winter Solstice. It would be snowing outside of course, with a warm fire blazing in the sitting room of the little cottage where they were staying. She would be sitting on the floor while Ada played with her hair, stopping occasionally to drop a soft kiss on her crown. The conversation would be limited, mainly words of love whispered in the dim light. Eventually, they would move to the bedroom, sometimes to fall asleep in each other's arms. Other times they would make love, slowly, gently, perfectly pleasuring each other until exhausted, they fell asleep wrapped around each other.

Fighting back the feeling of guilt that threatened to overtake her imagination, on this particular evening Hecate decided to indulge herself in the more intimate fantasy, reasoning that it had been at least five days since she’d last done so. She took a moment to ensure the necessary privacy and silence spells were active in her bedroom, quickly checked that Morgana was asleep in her cat bed, then reached under the blanket, lifted up her nightdress and allowed her most private desires to run wild. 

Every hitch of her breath became Ada’s, every moan, every half word formed on her lips came from her fantasy lover. And when she reached orgasm, for that brief moment she permitted herself to believe it was by Ada’s hand, allowing that thought to stay with her until she drifted off to sleep. 

The following morning there was absolutely no suggestion that Hecate had done anything the previous evening bar reading, marking and perhaps partaking in a few hours sleep. Only she knew what she had done and how that action had led to a full, restful nights sleep only broken when Morgana had hopped onto her shoulder, helpfully reminding her that it was time to get up and face reality. She and Ada were not a couple and they were certainly not alone in a remote cottage in snowy Scotland. 

Instead, Hecate was very much single, at the beginning of what was already looking to be a very long school year with the frankly, unappealing prospect of double potions with Mildred Hubble and Ethel Hallow’s year group first thing that morning.

“Still.”, she whispered to Morgana as she checked her bun in the mirror. “At least I’ll get to see Ada at breakfast.”

The peaceful silence was gone as she stepped into the corridor, instantly chastising several slow-moving girls who were delaying her from reaching the dining hall, where hopefully the one bright spot in her otherwise lonely world would be waiting for her.


	2. The Voices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can the voices, both in Hecate's head and one in real life, convince her to leave fantasy land and make her move?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the kind responses to the last chapter and your enthusiasm for this story. I hope you continue to enjoy as it progresses. Slight update, it will now be six chapters.
> 
> Also, for want of more information, I'm sticking with Davina as Miss Bat's first name. I've seen it in a few other fics and for want of a definite other name for her she will continue to be Davina for me :)

To sit in the dining hall and observe the chatter and laughter, you could easily have assumed that the students had been separated for years, not overnight. 

As she stirred her nettle flakes Davina regarded the chaotic scenes and noted how the atmosphere changed as soon as Hecate entered the room. 

“Is there any need for this level of noise?”, the Deputy Headmistress addressed the students in her firmest voice.

“No Miss Hardbroom.”, several girls answered before returning to their chattering, albeit at a more sedate level.

Hecate took her place across from Davina, noting to her displeasure that there was no sign of Ada. She nodded in appreciation as her usual breakfast of tea and toast was placed in front of her and tried not to allow her eyes wander to the door too much. 

“She’s talking to a couple of the third years.”, Davina spoke out of nowhere. “She won’t be long.”

“Pardon?”

“Ada.” Davina, still slowly stirring her food, determined to make the milk green glanced across the table. “Goodness, how long is this going to go on for. I really wish you two would put yourselves out of your misery and talk about your feelings.”

“Miss Bat,” Hecate took a delicate sip of her tea. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

“Well, I have no idea how that could be the case, I first mentioned it to you months ago, longer even.”

 _“Eighteen months.”_ , Hecate told herself while forcing her face not to react to the words. It had been the night of Spring Equinox, the girls had gone to bed, leaving the staff sat in this very dining room, drinking lemon wine to toast the start of spring. She remembered it clearly, Ada had been caught up in an animated discussion with Dimity when she had looked up, caught Hecate’s eye and smiled.

“She only smiles at you like that.”, a voice had piped up from Hecate’s left.

“Excuse me?” Hecate kept her own voice deliberately low, lest Ada would overhear. “Are you by any chance suggesting favouritism, because I believe you’ll find Ada smiles at everyone in that way.”

“She does smile at everyone.”, Davina agreed. “But not in that special way, that’s only for you.”

“What are you saying Miss Bat?” Hecate could feel her heart pounding in her chest as Davina said the words she both dreaded and desperately wanted to hear.

“I’m saying she’s got feelings for you. Just like you do for her.”

“Did she tell you this?”

“No.”, Davina shrugged. “But I know the signs.”

She was so tempted to find out more, to ask Miss Bat all about these alleged signs. What did they look like? Had she seen them in relation to Ada and anyone else? Did she really see them in Ada? But Hecate shook her head, forcing her mask of indifference into place. “It seems Miss Bat, that you have been reading too many romantic novels.”

It was only later, as they parted ways to go to bed, that she was made aware of her mistake 

“I notice you didn’t deny your own feelings Hecate. How interesting. Well, goodnight, sweet dreams.”

And so ever since that night, along with her own voice of hope, Hecate often heard the voice of Davina Bat in her head, telling her that Ada had a very particular type of interest in her. Sometimes she chose to listen to it, allowed it to add fuel to her own ideas. Other times she shut it down, quite firmly telling it to stop being so ridiculous. 

When it was the real voice of Davina, like this morning, that became more difficult. Hecate was intimidating, she was powerful but it seemed that was no match for Davina Bat when it came to encouraging matters of the heart. 

“Davina, I suggest you focus more on staying awake in your lessons and less on silly ideas.”, Hecate muttered.

“And I suggest….Oh look, here she comes.”

Even without Davina telling her, Hecate would have known. It always seemed to her that when Ada Cackle entered the room, the atmosphere changed. It became lighter, brighter and charged with a different type of energy, relaxing yet invigorating all at once. 

“Good morning Davina.”, Ada greeted them as she reached the table. “Good morning Hecate.” In addition to her verbal greeting she placed her hand gently on her Deputy’s black clad shoulder. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yes Headmistress.” , Hecate managed to respond without stuttering, a personal triumph in her mind. She refused to meet Davina’s eye, knowing if she did so that all she would see would be a look of smugness aimed directly at her. 

“I’m glad to hear it.” Ada smiled widely as she sat down, a plate of pastries and a cup of tea instantly appearing in front of her. “Well then, let’s see what this Friday has in store for us, shall we?”

As Fridays went, it was, Hecate reflected that afternoon, rather mundane. Yes, Mildred and Ethel had been squabbling but unfortunately, that was a usual event. Her classes had run rather smoothly. Homework assignments were generally below her standards but at least they had been done. Besides breakfast, the highlight of her day had probably been her long awaited ingredients delivery and she had allowed herself a happy hour unpacking and examining them. But now it was time for another highlight. It was dinnertime and on Friday evenings the staff normally ate alone while the students made the most of some additional free time before bed. 

Hecate took a moment to ensure her potions cupboards were locked securely and went to leave the laboratory, pausing for brief second to check her hair in the glass. She sighed to herself, thinking how ridiculous she was being, how Ada probably wouldn’t notice if her hair wasn’t in perfect order because, well, why would she?

She took in a deep breath to calm the butterflies that wouldn’t quite vacate her stomach before transporting herself to the staff room. On her arrival, she was immediately greeted with the sounds of hilarity and a sight that made the butterflies do a victory dance, Ada, head thrown back, tears of mirth rolling from her eyes as she tried to speak.

“Oh Hecate,” she gasped. “I’m sure you’ll think we’re being ridiculous. 

“Not at all headmistress.”, Hecate demurred. “Though I do appear to have missed the joke”

“Wouldn’t be the first time.”, Algernon muttered under his breath. 

Choosing to ignore the comment, Ada indicated that Hecate should sit at her usual chair on her left. “I was just telling the others about a winter trip my family took when I was around ten years old. We were in Scotland and…”

“Scotland?” Hecate was immediately transported back to her bedtime fantasy less than twenty four hours beforehand.

“Yes, Scotland. My family have a cottage there. It’s rather basic, very rural but a great escape. Anyway, Agatha and I were playing in the snow, back in those days she was sneaky and always a pain in the posterior, but even I have to admit she was great fun and a often wonderful playmate.. Well, on this day she decided I would be a better snowball target if my feet were frozen in the snow.”

“That sounds rather dangerous.” Hecate couldn’t help raising her concern for the younger Ada. 

“Oh, it was. For her.”, Ada laughed again. “Her magic was still at a very basic level so she ended up casting the spell on herself. Oh, she was furious, so frustrated, arms flapping as much as her jaw. She demanded I get her out, forgetting of course that my magic was just as basic, neither of us had mastered reversals so I really wasn’t much use to her. So I had to get my parents.”

“And what did they say?”

“Well, firstly they dismissed her silly notions that I had cast a spell on her which further fuelled her annoyance. Then, they released her but not before taking a photograph that they intended to be a deterrent for her bad behaviour.” Ada paused for a moment, wondering at exactly what point that deterrent stopped being effective. She gathered herself and grinned at the wider group. “I believe Mother still has it, next time I visit I’ll try to locate it so you can see. It really is a hilarious image.”

“I’m sure it is.” Hecate gave a small smile before reaching for a bread roll. It didn’t matter if she ever saw the picture, the image Ada had painted had been amusing enough. And she was glad that despite everything Agatha had put her through, her friend did have some happy childhood memories she could relive. 

“Penny for your thoughts my dear?” ,Ada prompted after a couple of minutes of Hecate looking only at her soup bowl. “Are you still with us?”

“Hmmm? Oh, yes, my apologies, I was just thinking about how I’m going to use my new potions ingredients with the girls on Monday.” It was a lie but Hecate hoped that at least it sounded realistic. Apparently, it did. 

“Monday will come soon enough, you have a whole weekend to think about that so for now, why don’t you enjoy your soup and relax a little?”

“Yes, Headmistress.”, Hecate whispered, very much avoiding Davina’s gaze as she did so. 

Two hours later the food was gone, Dimity was on bed check and Davina and Algernon were making their exit. 

“We’re going to take a moonlight stroll. See you tomorrow. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” Ada gave a friendly wave as the door closed. “So, it’s just us left.”

“I can leave, I….” Hecate was stopped by a hand on her arm. 

“Not at all my dear. Unless you have to of course?”

“N..no I can stay.” 

“Good. Don’t quote me on this but I do so relish the time we have alone.”

“You do?” Suddenly Hecate's chest felt tight, almost as though there wasn’t enough room for her rapidly beating heart.

Ada’s eyes twinkled. “Of course, I enjoy the others but when it’s just the two of us, it’s different.”

“D..d…different?” Hecate could barely squeak out the word. 

“Yes.” Ada used her magic to open a cupboard, locate what she was looking for, then levitate it across the room. “You are the only one who can give me a run for my money at Scrabble.”

Hecate wasn’t sure whether to be disappointed or relieved. “Scrabble?”

“Yes, we haven’t played for a while. Do you have time?”

“There is nowhere else I want, I mean, have to be.” Hecate decided to look at the positive aspect of things. Scrabble usually went on for quite some time, especially if they used only magical words.”

“Magic only?”, Ada asked with a twinkle. 

“Yes, unless you want to make things easier for yourself?” Hecate responded with a raised eyebrow. 

“Never.”

Before they could start playing Ada wanted Hecate to know something. “Just to clarify, I enjoy your company, whether we are playing Scrabble or not. I hope you know that.”

Hecate nodded. “I believe I do, and I enjoy yours as well. Very much so.”, she added nervously 

“Good, well now that we have that out of the way, let’s begin.”

Over the next couple of hours they played two games. The first Hecate won easily, the second she still wasn’t sure how but Ada had ended up the winner. 

Wyrde is a word, it's fallen out of use now but it was very popular in the middle ages, it means fate or destiny. Look, here it is in the dictionary.

"Hmm.", Hecate sniffed. "I suppose it's a draw in that case."

A draw meant that really they had no choice but to go in for a third round. Not that they were simply focusing on the game of course, Scrabble was also an opportunity to converse about other areas. And with the addition of some port kept in a locked cupboard, the conversation was flowing freely. 

“Do you still visit the cottage in Scotland?”, Hecate asked softly, greedily wanting to explore this new information while she could.

Ada thought for a moment. “You know, I haven’t been for some time but now that I’ve brought it up I’d quite like to go again.”

“I’m sure it’s very beautiful.”

“It is..” Ada lifted her eyes to look at Hecate. “Perhaps you’d like to come with me?”

“I…I.” Hecate discretely pinched herself under the table. After all, it was close to midnight, usually a time when one of her bedtime fantasies would be in full flow. 

“Don’t feel you need to accept.”, Ada added quickly. “It was just an idea.”

“I would like that very much.”, Hecate murmured

“Well then.” Ada gave a wink. “We’ll make the necessary arrangements. But for now, I think we have more pressing matters to deal with.”

Hecate couldn’t imagine anything on earth more pressing than the prospect of a trip away with Ada. “And what would that be?”

“I believe I am just about to beat you.” Ada’s beaming smile could have lit up the whole school.

But Hecate no longer cared about the game, she wasn’t even bothered by the fact that for only the fourth time ever Ada was about to beat her. Later, she would ask herself what had caused her to do it, to act in a way so out of character she even questioned if she had been temporarily possessed. She hadn’t of course, neither was she tipsy from the port. She couldn’t even blame Davina’s voice still floating in her head, ‘She only smiles at you like that’. 

No, it was Hecate’s own inner voice that had encouraged her, that shouted over the other more sensible choices of behaviour. _“She wants to go away with you, she wants to spend time alone with you. Take the chance. Now, before it’s too late.”_

As if in a dream Hecate leaned forward in her chair, put one hand on Ada’s arm before pressing her lips against the soft mouth that had invaded her thoughts for years. And to her delight, those lips pressed back against hers. Ada was kissing her back. Until mere seconds later she wasn’t.

“Hecate.” Ada pulled back abruptly. “What….?”

From her previous dreamlike state, Hecate was brought back to earth with a bang. A feeling of cold dread ran through her body. This had to be a bad dream, surely she couldn’t have done that. She couldn’t have kissed Ada, her employer, her friend without permission. She couldn’t have actioned one of her most secret desires, one that belonged firmly inside the inner sanctuary of her four walls. A look at Ada’s shocked face told her that that was exactly what she had done. 

“Did I get it wrong?”, she whispered

“Hecate, oh my dear.” The words Ada truly wanted to say were right there on the tip of her tongue. Wanted to, but couldn’t. Instead, she whispered sadly. “Yes.”

“Oh.” 

Never had two letters, one simple syllable sounded so broken. 

Ada swallowed the large lump that had appeared in her throat. “Let me explain, let me tell….” She stopped mid-sentence, there was no point in continuing. Hecate was gone leaving Ada with two half-empty glasses of port, a scrabble board and seven tiles spelling out her winning word, one that was exactly the same both in and out of magic circles. 

_“Beloved.”_


	3. The Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now, we face the immediate aftermath with all the associated feelings. But there's nothing to worry about, Hecate has a plan.....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for the reviews on the previous chapters. I know some of you wanted to see more from Ada's point of view and rest assured, there is a lot more to come from here.

Dawn on Saturday found Ada wide awake and mindlessly stroking her cat as she contemplated the events of the night before. At several points during the night she had needed to stop herself from transporting to Hecate’s room, banging on the door and begging to explain. But that would have been pointless. She knew Hecate well enough to understand that after such disappointment, such exposure, she would not be receptive to hearing anything Ada had to say. 

“I caused this.”, Ada berated herself yet again. “I encouraged her, I disappointed her.” And then, the worst feeling of all. “I hurt her. Oh Pendell, what am I to do?”

The gentle cat bumped his head against his mistresses shoulder, almost as if he was encouraging her to go and fix what she had broken. 

“I can’t.” Ada shook her head. “It’s too raw, I need to give her time to lick her wounds. Then, hopefully we can put it all behind us and move on.”

It should have been impossible for a cat to give a sigh of exasperation, but Pendell was no ordinary cat. Ada knew what that noise meant and she agreed, she was the one at fault and she needed to be the one to repair the damage. “I’ll take care of it.”, she whispered into the soft fur. “I just hope she’ll listen, that she’ll know I never want to hurt her, but it can’t be.”

Pendell purred again, this time in an almost questioning way. 

“It just can’t my pet, friendship has to be enough. She’s too important to me, to the school and I’m too old to take the risk. I don’t think I could survive if I lost her. Maybe I’ll explain more some day, when it doesn’t hurt so much.” 

At that point Ada broke down in sobs, thinking of what she had thrown away. Every secret wish, every private thought, everything she wanted had been right there in front of her. Hecate Hardbroom, the woman she desired, ‘Loved’, she corrected herself, for so long had offered herself and Ada had said no.

“You stupid old woman.”, she shouted into the air before banging the pillow with frustration and angrily dragging the covers up over her head before falling into a restless sleep filled with thoughts of what she had thrown away. 

It was well past breakfast time when she woke again. Tempting as it was to stay in bed and avoid all human contact for the rest of the day, possibly for the rest of her life, even on a Saturday she had a school to run. And as difficult as the prospect of facing everyone was, the thought of the questions that would come if she stayed away was far worse. 

She forced herself from the bed, her body feeling heavier than usual, her brain filled with a fog of despair and exhaustion, and made her way slowly to the shower. Experience told her that on a day like this a cleansing spell would not be enough, she needed real water, as cold as she could stand it to wake her up both physically and mentally. It wasn’t a miracle cure but it revived her enough that she could dress herself, choosing her most comfortable skirt and her oldest pink cardigan so at least she resembled Ada Cackle, on the outside at least. Inside she knew she was nowhere near herself but she hoped the tricks she learned during her life to cover up her unhappiness would serve her on this day. 

Hecate had been right the previous evening, Ada did have happy childhood memories. As she had gotten older, there had also been terrible times, times when Agatha had pushed their parents too far, times when she had hurt Ada so deeply that all she wanted to do was curl up into a ball and cry. But she hadn’t, she had plastered on a smile and lost herself in the happy places she could create in her mind. Ada had a big heart and as her mother often commented, possibly a bigger imagination. It was the one thing she could use to get away from the realities of living with a sister who appeared to want nothing more than to see her fail at life. She could even escape from her parents well meaning but sometimes stifling intentions. 

Left with just her imagination Ada’s life could be anything she wanted it to be and shared with anyone she desired. And for quite some time there was only one person that she imagined sharing her life with in that way. Hecate. 

“So why did I deny what my heart has wanted for so long?”, she addressed her mirror image. 

_“You know why.”_ , a voice came from inside her mind. A voice similar to her own but harsher, a voice that belonged to her greatest critic. _“What do you have to offer? Nothing.”_

Memories, all validating how correct the voice was, looped through Ada’s mind. 

_“No, no, no.”_ Realising that if she went down that particular rabbit hole she may not leave the room for some time, she pushed the thoughts aside, schooled her face into its trademark cheerful expression, opened the door and made her way to the centre of the school. 

“Good morning Miss Cackle.” A group of eager first years waved frantically at their principal, wanting to ensure she had seen them. 

“Good morning girls, what a lovely day. Make sure you get some fresh air, make the most of it before winter rolls around.”

“Yes Miss.”

Ada’s face hurt from maintaining her smile but she kept it up, using it as a shield to cover up what she was really doing, looking for Hecate. Typically on a Saturday morning her deputy had a set routine, one that she rarely deviated from. She rose early, made herself a light breakfast then walked to the gardens to check on her plants and flowers, Anything that was ready was picked and stored in her basket to be brought back to the potions lab. If there was nothing she still returned to the lab to indulge herself in the more advanced magic that had no place in the classroom.

By this time she would normally be in the lab, however Ada was saved from checking by Davina who had a message to deliver.

“Hecate has gone away for the weekend. She’ll be back for classes on Monday.”

“A…away?” Ada peered over her glasses. Hecate never went away without telling her at least three weeks beforehand, always wanting to ensure she wasn’t inconveniencing anyone by not being available to cover if required. 

“I have no idea where she’s gone.”, Davina carried on. “I did ask but she ignored me.”

“Did she..” Ada cleared her throat and rephrased the intended question. “How did she seem.”

“Tired.”, Davina answered honestly. “She seemed tired, irritable, even more than normal. Ada, perhaps I shouldn’t say this but she seemed, well, sad. She wasn’t like that last night. Did something happen?”

“No.” Ada didn’t want to lie but she couldn’t face telling Davina the truth, that if Hecate was sad, it was her doing. “I’m sure she just decided to pay a last minute visit to friends. She’ll be back tomorrow evening. Well, I have some work to catch up on, I’ll see you for dinner maybe.”

She entered her office leaving Davina with many questions but three certainties. Hecate had not gone to visit friends. Ada would not be joining them for dinner that night. And she had just been lied to.

Sunday night found Ada staring at the clock with no idea where the weekend had gone. She had slept somewhat, not as much as normal but enough to allow her function. She had eaten, possibly too much, using food as a comfort was a tendency she had never managed to overcome. She tried to distract herself, to focus on books, music, anything to pass the time but nothing was working. Nine O’Clock passed, ten, eleven, twelve, until Ada, sitting alone in her now cold office was left with a terrible thought. 

_“What if she doesn’t come back?”_

Her fear was proven to be unfounded when at 8:55 the following morning, Hecate materialised in the Assembly Hall. 

“Where have you been?”, Ada tried unsuccessfully not to sound frantic. 

“Did Miss Bat not pass on my message?” Hecate kept her gaze firmly locked on the door that the students and other teachers would come through any moment now. 

“She said you were away but that you would be back for classes.” Ada stared at Hecate, taking in her paler than normal skin and the shadows under her eyes that make up did not seem to be covering. 

“Am I late?” Hecate’s tone was cool as she made a show of checking her pocket watch. “No, I didn’t think so but it’s always best to be sure.” The meaning behind her words was not lost on either of them. 

“Of course you’re not late. Hecate, I feel terrible for the way we left things on Friday night. I wondered if perhaps we could talk at some point today? Please, I’d like to explain.”

“There is nothing to explain.” Hecate, still refusing to meet Ada’s imploring gaze, shrugged slightly. “I made a mistake, I made a fool of myself and for that I apologise. And now, with that said, unless you are planning on making a note on my staff file, which by the way I will accept, I request that we pretend it never happened.”

“But…..”

“Please.” Hecate could hear the crack in her voice as she spoke and prayed to the magical muses that Ada had missed it. 

Two days she had allowed herself to wallow, two days in a a nondescript B&B miles from the castle where she had sobbed until her tears ran dry. Then she had ranted to Morgana, the reluctant companion who had to endure her misery. Not about Ada of course, no at first it had been Davina putting silly ideas in her head, but that hadn’t lasted too long. 

Hecate could only blame herself, she had done something so stupid, something that on reflection could have caused her to lose not just Ada’s friendship but her job, her home. Everything she had built a life around could have been lost because she couldn’t control her impulses. That was why she had waited until the last minute to return. On Sunday evening she had been too fragile, too frightened that she would return to find her dismissal papers waiting for her. Instead she had taken a risk, returned later than intended and discovered to her relief that it seemed she still had a job and by association a home. 

_“I can’t dwell on anything else right now.”_ , she reminded herself. _“What’s done is done, I just need to make sure nothing like that ever happens again.”_

At sometime between 3 and 4AM that morning, Hecate had chosen her tactic. She would close off from all non essential contact with other people. Her job would be done to the best of her abilities, her classes would run like clockwork, she would complete her rounds and supervision with military precision. She would attend meetings as required and carry out any actions necessary to ensure the effective running of the school. What would stop would be her attendance at meals and non essential time spent in Ada’s office. Their relationship would now be strictly professional, there was no other choice. 

_“And no more silly fantasies.”_ Hecate told herself as the students started to file in. 

Her plan was remarkably easy to put into place. As far as she was concerned Ada had listened to her whispered plea. Little did she realise that Ada, wary of causing more hurt was reluctant to push things straight away. Although she did acknowledge to both herself and to Pendell that ignoring the problem would not make it go away. She had her own plan though, one that involved waiting until exactly the right time to raise the subject again.

As for Hecate, over the next couple of weeks she did even more than her normal duties and in doing so discovered some added benefits. Offering to cover breakfast supervision every morning made it easy to hide the fact that she had no appetite and zero interest in food. At lunchtime she ensured she was always working with one of the many students who needed support, alluding to the fact that she would fend for herself when asked by her colleagues if she wanted them to keep her anything to eat. It was the same at dinner time, how easy it was to make an excuse, a friend to mirror, an important paper to read, a course to attend. 

Nobody knew that she spent the hours between five and eight every evening hiding in a disused room in the South Tower. It was comfortable enough, if you ignored the broken floorboards and damp ceiling. Yes, she could have magicked some improvements but that would have been too frivolous and defeated the purpose of being there. If she wanted comfort she could have gone to her bedroom, enforced a privacy spell and nobody would have known she was there. But where there was comfort there was the potential for relaxation, and when she was relaxed, her imagination kicked in. Hecate couldn’t risk that, she knew the minute she allowed her fantasies to creep in she would find herself indulging in the biggest one of all, the one where Ada had responded to her advances and everything had changed for the better. The one where they were both blissfully happy, together.

_“Stop.”_ , she hissed to herself while scribbling frantically in her notebook _“Don’t ask for more than is possible. You’re not worthy of love Hecate, stick to what you know, stick to your teaching, stick to facts, stick to the plan.”_

The plan was working, to Hecate at least. Her classes did run like clockwork, primarily because the punishments she started to dole out for even minor infractions, were deemed to be the toughest in Cackle’s history. 

“A thousand lines for dropping a pencil.” Maud complained while rubbing her aching hand. “She’s gone off the deep end.”

Mildred smiled kindly and offered to help, knowing first hand how it felt to be on the receiving end of an unfair punishment. In her mind this was just normal old HB, expecting too much, tolerating too little and impatient with everyone, It was only when Ethel received an F for a spelling mistake that she realised that this was different.

“Miss Hardbroom, that really isn’t fair.” Ethel complained loudly. “One mistake.”

“One mistake is one too many.”, Hecate roared, causing every girl in the classroom to jump in fright. “How dare you back-answer me? You will rewrite that essay Ethel Hallow, not just once but fifty times.”

“But.”

“Now it’s one hundred. By tomorrow.”

With that the bell rang and twenty girls stared at the place where their teacher had been standing before vanishing into thin air. 

“Wait until my mother hears about this.” Ethel was in full on rant mode until Mildred stopped her. 

“Shhhh. You never know if she’s still floating around.”

The class waited a few moments before deeming it safe to talk. Then at once they erupted, each sharing experiences of how they and others had been slighted over the last few weeks. 

“Apparently she made one of the first years clean the toilet with their toothbrush.”, Enid whispered. 

“That story goes around every year.” Maud wanted to make sure they weren’t exaggerating too much, though this time it did not seem beyond the realms of possibility. “She just seems really stressed out, even more than ever. She looks like she hasn’t slept for a week.”

“Or eaten for two.” Mildred added. Their teacher had always been slim but right now, quite frankly she looked unwell. “Maybe we should talk to Miss Cackle?”

Maud hated to say it, she was very fond of their principal but there was no doubt that from what they have seen of her recently she seemed rather on edge herself. “Tell you what, let’s give it a day or so and if she’s not any better we’ll tell one of the teachers.”

“That doesn’t solve my problem.”, Ethel whinged. “How am I going to get my punishment finished? I only have two hands and not enough hours to get it done by tomorrow.”

“We’ll help.” Mildred offered, noticing immediately the look of shock on her arch-enemies face. “Don’t look at me like that, times like this we all need to stick together. Enid, do you still have that copying spell?”

“Yeesssss.”, Enid answered reluctantly. “But you know it’s only meant to be for teachers. If I get caught with it I’ll be in big trouble, we all will.”

“If we get caught then we’ll just have to explain to Miss Cackle why we used it without even saying it’s yours. Look, it’s the only way she’ll get this done. Ethel just write it out again without the typo and Enid will copy it for you. The spell is brilliant, it won't look like an exact copy so Miss Hardbroom will never know. ”

“If I get expelled over this…..”, Enid muttered. 

“Then at least you won’t have to deal with HB anymore.”, Mildred quipped causing laughter to break out amongst her classmates. Still smiling she walked towards the door, only to be pulled back by Ethel. 

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Mildred’s smile grew wider. 

“Once this is all over we’re back to fighting, you do know that don’t you?”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

While truces were being formed in her classroom, Hecate was pacing across her bedroom floor, mentally preparing herself for her next class with the fourth years. Normally this was one of her favourites, these girls knew how to take instruction and were advanced enough in their magic skills to require less teaching and more practical work. 

_“What are we doing today?”_ Hecate’s sharp brain did not appear to be working to it’s usual capacity, it took at least a minute to recall that the were looking at an example of magical ingredients in the non-magical world. 

She had plenty of time to get back to her classroom and locate her supplies but she couldn’t stay in her bedroom anymore, a common feeling over the past few weeks. Where previously this had been her sanctuary, her place to indulge her silly notions, now it seemed like a harsh reminder of her stupidity. Her bed had gone unused since her return. Luckily sleep was easily avoided when you could brew limitless supplies of Wide Awake potion. 

There was a tiny part of her in that moment that would have loved nothing more than to lay down on that bed and escape the hurt and heartache by sleeping for a week. Perhaps even allowing herself….. _“No, that’s my weakness talking. I must be stronger.”_ , she reminded herself. _“If I stop now I’ll only have to face it all again. Better to work through it and wait for this feeling to pass.”_ She reached for the bottle of Wide Awake potion next to the sink, knocked back her increased dose of half a bottle, repeated, _“I must be stronger."_ for good measure and transported herself back to the lab, which had thankfully been vacated by her previous class.

At the same time Davina was making her way towards Miss Cackle’s office. She, Algernon and Dimity had conferred and agreed that the current situation in the school was unbearable. Although nobody had voiced it yet, the students were suffering, they staff were certainly suffering and clearly Hecate was suffering. Nobody could recall the last time they had seen her take so much as a cup of tea, never mind solid food. And her so called evening plans weren’t fooling anyone. 

And from what Davina had seen, Ada was suffering too. She had also hidden herself away, though not in such an obvious way as Hecate. Ada still attended meals, possibly more for the food than the company, but she was holding herself back and not engaging in conversation the way she normally did. The headmistress seemed permanently distracted and it appeared either unwilling, or possibly unable to address the issue. 

Steeling herself Davina knocked on the door, waited for the soft, ‘Come in’, and prepared to say her piece. 

“Ada, I really must…..” Davina was stopped in her tracks by the arrival of a frantic fourth year by the name of Fiona Forest.

“Miss Cackle, Miss Bat, come quick. Miss Hardbroom’s collapsed, we thought she fainted but we can’t find a pulse.”


	4. Stay With Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will what's happened to Hecate finally push Ada into admitting her own desire? And will Hecate be able to stay with her to hear the truth?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just fair warning on this one, there may be some upsetting themes around magical overdoses and general medical treatments as well as low self esteem from both of our girls, so tread carefully if that could be triggering for you. 
> 
> Chapter title comes from the song [Stay, By Shakespeare's Sister](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCYaALgW80c) It seemed appropriate.

“Hecate, Hecate. Wake up, please wake up for me.” There was no response as Ada shook the seemingly lifeless body and begged for a response that wasn’t coming. 

“She’s breathing and has a pulse but it’s weak.”, Dimity whispered, having arrived on the scene just before Ada. “Algernon’s summoned the magical medics, they’re on their way.”

Ada looked up, anguish written all over her face. “We have to do something, give her a potion, anything. She needs to wake up.”

Dimity shook her head. “We can’t Ada, you know that. We don’t know what caused her to collapse so giving her anything is far too risky.” 

While logically she did know this, it didn’t matter. Ada needed to do something, _anything_ , to help Hecate. And if she couldn’t, she needed someone else who could. “Where are those medics.”, she shouted frantically.

“Coming through, stand back please.” The male and female medic glided into the classroom and crouched beside their patient. “Stand back please.”, one of them repeated to Ada who still hadn’t moved. 

“Here.”, Davina murmured as she gently pulled the principal up and out of the way. “I’m here, I have you.” 

“We need to know exactly what happened.?”, the male medic asked only to be met with silence from the room. 

“Girls.”, Dimity addressed Hecate’s petrified looking class. “Tell them everything that happened before Miss Hardbroom collapsed.”

It was Fiona who answered, having been pushed forward by her classmates. “She.. she seemed a bit strange when we came into class, kind of confused. She was speaking very quickly and moving her arms a lot. Cordelia asked if she was okay which just seemed to make her angry. Anyway, she started the class but we couldn’t really follow what she was saying because her speech started to slur and then she just fell down.”

“Did she take anything.”, the female medic indicated to the rows of potentially harmful substances. 

Fiona shook her head, “Not when we were here.” 

“Thank you girls.” Dimity stepped towards the students. Let’s leave these guys to it and get you all a cup of tea. You’ve told all you can, there’s nothing else we can do here.” 

“Can’t you do something?”, Ada pleaded with the male paramedic. _‘Edward_ ’, she vaguely noted the name on his badge. “Tests anything?”

“We don’t have time for that.” Edward reached into his bag, pulled out a clear glass bottle and looked at his co-worker who nodded and took up the explanation. 

“Her pulse is down to almost nothing. All we can do for now is give her an adrenaline potion and hope it doesn’t counteract with anything else she may have taken.”

“Taken.” Ada couldn’t quite follow. 

“We don’t know what but she’s showing all the signs of an overdose, a fatal one if we don’t do something now.” 

“Oh.” Ada felt her legs give way underneath her, luckily Algernon was there to help her onto a nearby chair. “She can’t die.”, she whispered to herself. “She can’t. She has to stay with me.”

In perfect synchronicity the medics worked together, maintaining their check on vitals, measuring the correct dosage and finally administering the shot that could save their patient’s life. 

“Pulse is increasing, breath levelling”, the female medic, _Bryony_ , Ada would later recall, confirmed. 

The older staff members couldn’t take their eyes off the scene. Once Hecate had stabilised to their satisfaction, the medics drew blood to run through their magical instruments. They watched as Edward pointed to his screen, clearly having discovered something important.

“What is it?”, Davina asked quietly. 

“A combination of things.”, Bryony responded. “Ginseng, wolfbane, caffeine.”

“Wide awake potion.”, Ada murmured. 

“Exactly. fine in small quantities but not the amount that’s in her system. She’s also severely dehydrated and frankly undernourished.”

“But you can make her better? Please tell me you can.", Ada implored, tears rolling down her cheeks as she moved closer to where Hecate was still unconscious on the ground.

“Physically we can.”, Edward answered in a much softer voice than he had previously used. “Firstly we’ll move her somewhere more comfortable where now that we know what it is, we can magically flush the potion from her system. Then we’ll start her on a nutrition and water potion. During this time we’ll keep her safely sedated because one of the main things she needs right now is rest. It's up to you, she can remain here, or if you prefer we can bring her to hospital?”

Knowing Hecate would hate nothing more than being in a hospital with complete strangers, and she would hate nothing more than not having her close by, Ada was able to make a quick decision. “She’ll stay here, I will look after her.”

“That’s fine, she’ll sleep for a while, a few hours anyway and she’ll be very groggy for a time when she wakes up. If you give us your healer's details we’ll arrange for them to call and check on her. After she wakes I’d suggest a lot of rest to aid her recovery, maybe two weeks or so but that will be up to her and the healer. Also not to speak out of turn, I would be encouraging her to address whatever caused this.”

Ada, remembering exactly what had caused the incident, knelt down again, taking Hecate’s pale hand in her own shaking one. “I will, I’ll take care of her, I'll make sure she gets well again.”

“Good.”, Bryony smiled kindly. “Does she have a bedroom here?”

“Yes.”, Davina confirmed. 

“Then let’s move her there, I’m sure she’ll recover even more quickly surrounded by her own things.”

Seconds later Hecate was no longer on the floor but instead lying on her own bed with a medic at either side while Ada watched from the doorway. The potion removal was completed rapidly as was the initial distribution of the nutrition fluid. 

“This will run over the course of today, it also contains the sedative.”, Edward explained. “Your healer will come this evening to make sure it’s doing what it should be. She’ll also be able to monitor it remotely but we need to make sure someone stays with the patient.”

“I won’t leave her side.”, Ada promised. 

“I thought so. Right, it goes without saying but if you have any concerns contact the healer immediately. Do you have any questions?”

“Can I get her changed out of her dress?” Ada wanted Hecate to be as comfortable as possible as she recovered. 

Bryony gave her a nod. “Of course, we’ll leave you to do that. Don’t worry, she was lucky but she will be okay.”

“I know. Thank you for everything you did for her.”

“That’s what we’re here for.” Once the medical duo had said their goodbyes and left the room, Ada carefully cast the spell to change Hecate out of her dark dress and into a loose nightgown. She also made sure her hair was taken down from its tight bun and instead tied in a loose ponytail that flowed across the pillows. 

“Oh, my dear, dear Hecate.”, Ada sighed before a soft bump against her ankle told her that they weren’t the only occupants of the room. “Morgana,” She reached down to pick up the agitated cat. “She’ll be okay, I know you’re just as worried as I am but I promise you, she just needs some rest, then she’ll be as right as rain.”

“Miaow”, Morgana gave a sad sounding purr.

“I know, I blame me too. And I don’t know how, but I will fix this.” Ada looked at both the cat and her mistress. “I promise.”

For almost four hours Ada and Morgana sat next to Hecate’s bed, watching every inhale and exhale of her breath, taking each one as further reassurance that she would soon wake up. It was only a soft tap on the door that diverted their attention temporarily. 

“The healer is here,” Davina informed Ada before showing Healer Blackstock into the room.

“Well met Miss Cackle.”, the school’s healer greeted the principal with a bow. 

“Well met Healer”, Ada returned. “She hasn’t moved.”

“That’s a good sign. I hear you haven’t moved for some time yourself, why don’t you take a short break and I’ll examine Miss Hardbroom?”

“But.”, Ada started to refuse

“Come on.”, Davina wasn’t leaving any room for arguments. “Just come out into the corridor with me for a few minutes.”

Reluctantly Ada stood up and placed Morgana gently on the ground. “You stay here and keep her company. I’ll be back soon.” Then, as instructed she stepped into the hallway where she immediately burst into tears. 

“Shh, it’s alright, she’ll be okay.”

“No thanks to me.”, Ada muttered bitterly. “Not alone did I hurt her, I waited too long to talk to her, I allowed her to hurt herself.”

Davina shook her head sadly. “We could all say the same thing. We knew she was struggling and not looking after herself.”

“Because of me.”

Knowing that she needed to tread carefully, Davina shared the conclusion she had drawn. “She told you didn’t she?”

“Told me what?”

“She told you that’s she’s in love with you and for some reason, you turned her down.”

Knowing they had gone far beyond the point of lying, Ada decided she needed to share her burden. “She didn’t tell me as such but she kissed me, that Friday night in my office.”

“And?”

“And, yes, you’re right, I turned her down. After leading her on, telling her how much I enjoyed her company, even inviting her to come away with me because I couldn’t resist more time with her, I pulled back and allowed her to think she had misjudged the situation.”

“Ada.” Davina took the principal’s hands in hers. “Why did you lie to her? You and I both know perfectly well that you’re in love with her, you have been for quite some time.”

“Yes.”, Ada’s response was barely audible. “I am completely in love with her.”

“So why not accept her advances?”

“Because....” Suddenly Ada’s tone switched from sorrow to anger. “Because she’s too good for me. Look at me, I’m a fat old woman with nothing to show for myself except a name and a school that I inherited from my family. She could have anyone, go anywhere, do anything.”

“So why hasn’t she?”, Davina challenged, causing Ada to stop mid-rant. “I’ll tell you why, shall I? Because she’s in love with you. You’re the only one who makes her truly smile, the only one she opens up to in even the slightest way. She doesn’t want anyone else, she doesn’t want to be anywhere else or do anything else because she’s in love with you.”

Ada sagged back against the wall, the fight completely vanishing from her body. “I told myself I was imagining it, convinced myself it could and should never be real. Oh, I wanted to tell her the truth Davina, I wanted to explain my reasons for saying no but I thought it was better to let the dust settle, how could I have been so stupid?”

Davina sighed deeply. “What’s done is done and I agree, you do need to tell her your reasons but I am sure that Hecate will think they’re as stupid as I do.” 

“What?”

“They’re not valid reasons, not in the slightest. I’ve known you and your family for a long time, your mother is one my oldest friends and I care about you very much. I also have a good idea who and what put those ideas in your head, but I don't want to dwell on that right now. Instead, in the absence of Alma being here, let me tell you something. Ada, you’re not too fat or too old or anything of the sort. And if you were, so what? She’d love you anyway. You need to tell her all of this, you also need to listen to what she has to say and then you both need to decide where to go from there.”

“You’re right.” Ada reached for Davina’s hand and gave it a squeeze of thanks. “I could have lost her today, I may never have had the chance to tell her how I feel.”

“Then don’t throw it away again.” Davina gave her friend a hug, only pulling back when the door opened to reveal the healer. 

“You go.” Davina gave her a gentle shove forward. “I’ll bring you up some tea in a little while, and don’t worry about the school, while you look after Hecate we’ll take care of everything.”

At the mention of the school Ada felt a fresh rush of panic. “What will we tell the girls?”

Luckily the healer could help. “A bad case of magical influenza has remarkably similar symptoms and recuperation period. She’s doing well, sleeping deeply which is a great sign. I’ll be back tomorrow morning but mirror my office if you need me before then.”

“Thank you.” Ada, relieved that everyone would not need to know Hecate’s private business gave her a tight smile before returning to the room to wait by her beloved’s bedside. 

The next few hours passed slowly, Davina true to her word arrived back with a tray containing tea, a large sandwich and a plate of biscuits, but Ada had no interest in food. Instead, she drank her tea slowly, fed part of her sandwich to Morgana and let her thoughts consume her as one day moved into the next. 

It was only when she felt her legs beginning to seize up that she moved at all, slowly standing in a bid to relieve the stiffness. And it was as she stood that she knocked a heavy notebook from the bedside table. In the confines of the dark room it sounded like an explosion, but to Ada’s relief, Hecate did not appear to have been disturbed. Her own heart still beating rapidly, she bent down to retrieve the notebook, unintentionally catching a glimpse of the contents as she did so. 

_“I must not allow my ridiculous imagination to control me.”_ The line was repeated over and over again

To Ada’s dismay, there were more devastating words documented

_“I am unworthy, I am unlovable, I am unwanted.”_

“No, no my dear you are none of those things. You are so worthy of love, so wanted.” Ada’s shoulders wracked with sobs. “And If you allow me I will spend forever proving that to you.” Without thinking Ada bent down and softly pressed her lips against Hecate’s pale forehead. “I love you Hecate, please believe me.” 

Tears rolling down her cheeks, she sat back and spoke to an intensely staring Morgana. “Look at me, I’m no prince in a fairytale am I?” 

“No, you’re not.”

The response was so faint and so very far away that Ada told herself it had come from the far reaches of her mind. 

But had it?


	5. You Can Talk To Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Hecate is awake will they take the opportunity to really talk? Will Ada finally share what's been holding her back? And if she does, will it bring them together or push them further apart?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to clarify, this is set around the beginning of S2, though I'm kind of ignoring the whole Miss Mould storyline for this one. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy.

“Hecate.” Ada turned her head at the groggy voice. “You’re awake.”

“Am I?” Hecate whispered. “It doesn’t feel like it.” She tried to get up, but a gentle hand stopped her.

“You are, but you’re still exhausted, you need more rest.”

“What happened?”, Hecate asked. “I can’t remember.”

Deciding now was not the time to share the full story, Ada stretched the truth a little. “You were unwell my dear but you received great treatment, and now all you need to do is rest and recover.”

“Unwell?” Hecate’s eyes were dropping, but she managed a small smile as she felt the familiar sensation of Morgana curling up next to her. 

“Yes, but it’s nothing to worry about, go back to sleep. When you wake again everything will be clearer.”

“Will you stay?” Hecate’s words were barely audible. 

Ada smiled fondly, tears again gathering in the corners of her eyes. “Wild horses couldn’t make me move.” 

Hecate slept solidly for another eight hours, only waking again just before the doctor returned. 

“You’re doing extremely well Miss Hardbroom.” Dr Blackwood finished making a few notes on her pad. “Don’t be surprised if you keep dropping off, that’s to be expected over the next few days. I’ve removed the IV but make no mistake about it, if you don’t start eating and drinking properly, I’ll have you back on it faster than you can blink.”

“I’ll make sure she does.”, Ada promised having returned to the room after the initial examination had taken place. 

“Good, plenty of water, perhaps some glucose drinks. As for food, keep it light for today, vegetable or chicken broth, then tomorrow you can progress to scrambled eggs and toast.”

Ada was already composing a note in her mind to send to the kitchens as she walked the doctor to the door. She quickly said her goodbyes before turning on her heel, only to find a sight in front of her that caused her heart to sink. 

“Hecate?”

“I remember.” Hecate’s attempt at a stony face was ruined by the single tear rolling down her cheek. “I know what happened.”

Ada rushed back to sit on the edge of the bed and reach for Hecate’s hand. A hand that was instantly pulled back and hidden under the covers. “What do you remember? Please tell me.”

“I was teaching the girls, my fourth years. I wanted to tell them about digitalis; I had the powder all ready. Then, I couldn’t think, I couldn’t speak. I thought I was going to die. The doctor asked if I did it intentionally if I wanted to, was trying to……” Hecate couldn’t finish the sentence. “I didn’t; I promise I didn’t, it was an accident, I misjudged the dosage. Stupid, I was so stupid.”

“That’s all in the past now; it was an accident, I know that. You’re alive, that’s all that matters. You’re safe and well and here with me” Ada desperately wanted to reach out and comfort Hecate properly, but she knew they had only covered one part of the tale, and if Hecate truly did remember everything, she wasn’t sure her touch would be wanted. Almost afraid of the answer she asked, “What else do you remember?”

It took a moment, but eventually, Hecate spoke again. “I made a fool of myself.”

“What? No.”

“I did.” It was killing Hecate to lay herself so bare, but she knew she had no other choice. Dr Blackwood had left her in no doubt about how lucky she was to be still alive. “I let my ridiculous fantasies dictate my actions, I made unwanted advances against you and when you rightfully turned me down, instead of accepting it I sulked and retreated into myself. Then I self-medicated with magic, like I’ve done so many times in the past. Except, this time it nearly killed me. I’m sorry.”

“No.” Ada’s voice was firm, though inside she was shaking. “You do not need to apologise for this.”

“I do, I….”

“Hecate, I’m the one who needs to apologise, I’m the one who caused this upset, not you. There is so much I want to tell you, so much I want to explain. I want to lay everything out, but I fear it may be too much right now.”

“It won’t be.” Hecate’s words were undermined by a long yawn. 

“I’ll tell you what, you close your eyes and sleep some more, then when you’re feeling a bit more refreshed, and you’ve had some broth, then we’ll talk. Really talk.”

It was a mix of the exhaustion she still felt, combined with the warmth of her blankets and the softness of her pillow that lulled Hecate off to sleep. But as she drifted off there was something else, another feeling that helped her settle. A tiny spark of something deep down inside her. Hope

In the time in which Hecate slept, Ada planned what she was going to say, even going as far as making a few notes before ripping them out of the page. “I can’t script this.”, she told herself. “I need to speak the truth.” 

“What time is it?”, Hecate murmured upon waking several hours later. 

“Just after six.” Ada soothed. “You’re just in time for tea, though I do hope Dimity didn’t wake you.

“Dimity was here?” Hecate couldn’t remember when anyone apart from Ada had been in her bedroom. 

“Just at the door, she brought up some broth, I was going to keep it warm for you, but if you’re ready, you can have it now.”

Hecate considered the thought for a moment before nodding. “Yes, I do believe I could manage some. Perhaps a cup of tea as well. But first I, well I need to freshen up a little.” She blushed slightly. “Do you mind.”

“Not at all.” Ada cast the necessary spells then indicated the tea point with a question in her eyes. 

“Oh, yes please.” Tea was more appealing than anything else in the world right now. 

“Coming right up.” Ada helped Hecate sit up before casting a spell to levitate the tray in front of her. “Do you want me to feed you?”

“I believe I can hold a spoon.”, Hecate responded wryly. “Though you might pour the tea please.” She watched as Ada fussed around, pouring two cups of tea, straightening out napkins and thought back to what they had briefly discussed before her last sleep. Although she was wary, not wanting to raise her hopes again, she was hopeful that at the very least their friendship could be rescued. Those thoughts stayed with her as she slowly ate her broth, though they were only spoken out loud when she pushed the tray away to indicate that she had finished. “I think it’s time we talked, don’t you?”

Ada took a deep breath before draining the last of her tea. “Yes, I do, and if it’s alright with you, I’d like to start. I want to tell you exactly what I should have told you weeks ago."

“I’m listening.” Hecate took Morgana into her arms and prepared herself for whatever Ada had to say. 

“I love you.” Ada held up a finger when she saw her companion’s mouth open as if to disagree. “Please Hecate, let me do this.” She waited for a beat until she saw a slight nod. “I have been in love with you for a long time now. How could I not be? You are everything my vivid imagination ever conjured up, more in fact. And that’s part of the reason I backed off."

“Bu..” Hecate stopped herself, she had agreed to listen, and that’s what she would do. 

“I know, it doesn’t make sense, but at that moment I thought I was doing the right thing. I never thought I had a chance. I saw these others, better, more beautiful women like Pippa Pentangle and how they looked at you. I found out that you and Pippa had been a couple and I thought my heart would break because that told me I could never be good enough for you. She’s beautiful, slim and young; she even has her own school. In my mind, I could never compete with that. And she wasn’t the only one. I’ve seen how you catch people’s eye at witching conventions, not just because you’re breathtaking, which you are, but because of your intellect, your wit, your knowledge, your power. You could have had any of them, why would you want me?”

“Is that the real reason you said no?” Hecate, sensing that she was now allowed to speak, asked slowly. “You thought that I would just cast you aside when someone ‘better’ as you deemed it came along.”

“It sounds ridiculous, I agree. And so unfair to you, I know that. But Hecate, I was frightened because.. because, it’s happened before. I’ve been cast aside for someone else more times than I like to remember. And always for the same person. Someone better, someone more intelligent, someone more passionate.”

“Who do you mean?” Hecate had a strong feeling she knew the answer.

“Agatha. It mainly happened when we were younger. I’d meet a girl and some sort of relationship would start. Then, I’d introduce her to my family and before I knew it, they had met a better version of me and suddenly I was old news.”

“She is not a better version of you.” Hecate’s face twisted in disgust. “The very opposite in fact.” 

Ada shrugged. “To them she was. Anyway, I brushed it all aside, put on my best smile and pretended it didn’t matter. I also wised up and later on when I met someone very special, Martha, who I thought could be ‘The One’, I didn’t introduce her to Agatha. It was easy enough; we weren’t on speaking terms at the time, in fact, it was three years later when I next saw her. Do you know how I met my sister again?”

“No.” 

“She was in bed with my girlfriend. In the four hours I had been out she had paid a visit and made herself at home in more ways than one. The sad thing was, I was so in love with Martha that I’m sure I would have forgiven her. But, just as the others had, she got it into her head that Agatha was worth pursuing. That my sister was this more passionate, more outwardly attractive and apparently better in bed version of me. What she didn’t realise of course was that Agatha had no real interest in her, it was just like when we were children, she wanted my toys when I wanted them. If I was bored with them, she had no interest.”

“So you broke up?”

“Oh we did, she went off with Agatha and promptly came crawling back a few weeks later when my sister got rid of her. Agatha has never liked to be tied down; she wants to be free and ready for any woman, or man, who catches her eye. At that stage it was too late for me, I’d come back here and although it almost broke me, I told my mother what had happened. She was nothing but supportive of course. It was then that she suggested I stay, start teaching at the school. Father had passed away, she was getting ready for retirement and it just seemed like the right thing to do. I could concentrate on the school and forget about relationships or the potential of getting hurt. And that worked very well until you came along. Then, I found myself getting caught up in all these silly notions that all revolved around you, imagining that things were different, that the Headmistress and Deputy ‘us’, were really a different type of us. 

Hecate blinked slowly. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one who retreated into her imagination. She was only drawn out of her thoughts when she heard what Ada had to say next. 

“Agatha realised you know; she saw something in how I looked at you during her last attempt to take over the school. She told me it was all in my head, that you could never feel that way about me, that I was too meek for you, too ugly as I’d let myself go over the years. But she also said that if she wanted you, she could have you.” Ada saw the look of horror pass across Hecate’s face. “That’s how she is, arrogant, determined, charming when she wants to be. But deep down, and it pains me to say this, she is evil.”

Ada paused for a second as the pain washed over her, the nasty words, the pointed barbs from the person who should have been her closest ally, her best friend, all flooding through her mind as she tried to refocus.

“She convinced me that I was right, you could never feel for me what I felt for you. And then, when it seemed you did when what I wanted was right in front of me, I panicked and threw it all away. I let my fear of being in a relationship, especially at this stage of my life, override what I wanted most in the world.”

There was a long silence before Hecate cleared her throat. “May I speak now?” On seeing Ada’s nod she began. 

“Firstly, what you told me about Agatha, how she acted, what she said, how she treated you over the years, it makes me want to remove her from that painting and use the type of magic on her that nice witches like me are not meant to know.” She paused, seeing Ada’s concerned face. “I won’t, she’s not worth it but mark my words, if she ever manages to wangle her way out of there I won’t be responsible for my actions. Not for what she said about me you understand, that would never happen. For you.”

“Secondly, Pippa Pentangle, you’re correct, we were friends then briefly lovers a long time ago. And yes, I had feelings for her and she for me in her own way. It was never going to work though because we both wanted very different things. Pippa, well let’s just say that like your sister she likes to be a free agent. To her credit, she has always been open about that, but I can only be in monogamous relationships. When I saw her again it was difficult, not because I was still in love with her but it felt like we were raking up the past. However, we did manage to talk and I feel we can now consider each other friends. Only friends.”, she emphasised. “And I can’t help but question your logic Ada, do you not think that if I’d had the slightest interest in her, I would have at least been some bit excited for her visit?”

“Perhaps.” Ada muttered, thinking of Davina and her similar question the previous day. “But I think we can both agree I haven't been very logical in this whole situation.”

“No.” Hecate agreed. “But that makes two of us. Now, to continue, there were others, flings I suppose, nothing special. I thought it was me, that I was unloveable, unwanted, even that my standards were too high. It was only later I realised that it was just that they weren’t right for me, or me for them. And as for anyone else who you may or may not have seen looking at me, as flattering as that may be, I have no interest in them. And the reason I have no interest in them is for many years now my only interest has been in one woman. A woman full of compassion, understanding, intelligence, humour and life. A woman who runs a school that I personally think is the finest in the entire witch academy network. And it is that way because of how she guides her staff and her students by sharing her wealth of knowledge in the most natural, kindest way 

“Aand, not that looks are important, but to me, she is the most beautiful woman that I’ve ever known. With glowing skin, a smile that rivals the sun’s brightness and steel blue eyes that sparkle with joy. And if there were ever a day where she didn’t shine quite so brightly, if the world was a little bit too much to bear, then I would make sure I was there to support her and make it known that to me she would still be beautiful. 

“Oh.” Ada gasped at the tender words aimed directly at her

“And if she was a little bit older than me, well all the better because I’ll tell you a secret, I’ve always had a thing for older women.”, Hecate gave a slight wink. 

“So does this mean? 

“It means Ada.” Hecate inhaled deeply and pushed through any potential danger that her rational mind may have tried to list, knowing that what she could gain was worth the risk. “That I am in love with you too. The question is, do we leave aside our fears and insecurities and do something with that information. Or do we simply acknowledge it, decide it’s not worth the risk and go back to what we were?”

“I don’t think I can go back.”, Ada mumbled. 

“Good.”, Hecate smiled. “Neither can I.” 

“Then may I?” Ada tentatively leaned in to kiss Hecate as she had been dying to for so long. 

“No.”

“No?”

“No.” Hecate lifted herself up slightly and pressed her hand against Ada’s cheek. “I had a false start the last time so please, allow me.”

The kiss was slow and tender, with Ada especially mindful that Hecate was still not recovered. Still, there was no denying the spark that ran through each of them at the contact. 

“I love you.”, Ada whispered shyly as she pulled back. 

“And I you.” Hecate sat back against her pillows, a dazed look on her face. “That was even better than I dreamed it could be.”

“Can I take it you dreamed of this too?”, Ada asked softly.

“Oh yes, I think you’ll find you’re not the only one with an active imagination.” 

The word imagination prompted something within Ada, something she knew she needed to confess. There had already been enough secrets between them. “I need to tell you; I accidentally read your notebook. I didn’t mean to but it fell. I saw the lines you’ve written; I’m so sorry I caused that.” 

Hecate glanced at the notebook in question and sighed. “Ah yes. I reverted to my childhood somewhat I suppose. When I was younger, my governess used to give me lines for daydreaming. While I was… during my episode, I found myself with more time on my hands than anticipated. Perhaps deep down I thought it fitting to punish myself in the same way I punished the girls.” She stopped short, a horrified look crossing her face. “Goodness, I was awful to them. I think I remember telling Ethel she had to rewrite her essay fifty times. I must tell her not to do it.”

“You’re going nowhere.” Ada stopped Hecate in her tracks. “I very much doubt that any of the punishments you may have given out have been done since your illness. And even if they were, I’m sure some girl with a copying spell would have stepped in to help.”

“There is always one.” Hecate concurred. “Though they think we don’t know.”

“Exactly. Tomorrow morning at assembly I will tell the girls that any punishments have been cancelled.”

“I’ll tell them.”, Hecate insisted. 

“You will not because tomorrow you will still be in this same spot. And not just tomorrow, you are to stay on bedrest for the remainder of the week. Next week if you’re feeling up to it you can sit out and after that, we can build up to some short walks. And in two weeks, if the doctor agrees, you can return to work, light duties only. 

“TWO WEEKS?” 

Ada was not prepared to argue. “Two weeks. Hecate, you may feel better now but your body still has a lot of recovering to do. Besides, we told the girls you have magical influenza, so you’ll have to play along.”

“Bah.” Hecate huffed, though she knew deep down Ada was correct. She was already feeling fatigued again and knew she wouldn't be able to stay awake much longer.

‘Bah, nothing. Besides, it won’t be so bad; there’s not much I can’t do to keep the school running from right here. And when I do need to pop out, several people would like to visit, if that would be acceptable to you.”

“It would be.” Hecate yawned before making a request. “Will you bring Pendell along? I think Morgana would like the company.”

Ada gave a low chuckle. She knew that although Morgana would always be number one, Hecate had a soft spot for Ada’s especially cuddly cat. “Of course my love.”

“Say that again.”, Hecate urged, eager to hear the word directed at her again. 

“My love, you are my love Hecate and I’m going to look after you so well from now on.”

“No.” Hecate shook her head firmly 

Ada’s heart sank, had she misjudged something?

“We’re going to look after each other.”

“That sounds good to me.”

“Oh...” Hecate’s eyes were growing heavy but there was something she had forgotten to say. “For the record you Ada, are and will always be the only Cackle woman for me. Please know that.”

“I do my dear, I promise. Now, close your eyes and go to sleep. I’ll be right here.”

Hecate shook her head and shuffled forward slightly. “That chair won’t be any good for your legs. There’s plenty of room here and you need your sleep too.”

“Are you sure?” Ada wanted nothing more than to curl up against Hecate but didn’t want to cross any lines.

“I’d like you to.”, Hecate confessed. “I have thought about us sharing a bed together for so long.”

“As have I.” Ada saw no reason to deny the request so cast a spell to change into her nightdress and freshen up before climbing under the covers, quickly finding her arm pulled around Hecate’s waist. 

“In my dreams, we’re cuddling.” Hecate breathed into the dark. “Do you mind?”

“Not at all my dear.” Ada pressed a quick kiss on Hecate’s hair. “Does this live up to your expectations?”

“It’s better. It’s even more than I could ever have imagined.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is where I was going to leave it.......but then I decided that was too mean even for me. Final chapter will be a bit of epilogue set a couple of months ahead and *may* involve a certain location mentioned in Chapter 1 and a *slight* rating change...


	6. A Cottage In Scotland

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's three months later, what's happened in the meantime and what's about to happen as the school breaks up for Winter Holidays

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As mentioned in the previous chapter, this one may involve a slight rating change. (In other words, smut alert!)

September transitioned to October, then November and December, until all of a sudden the staff and students of Cackle’s found themselves getting ready for the Winter holidays. 

“What a term.”, Mildred commented to Maud and Enid as they lay on the floor of her bedroom, still surrounded by clothes and books that she hadn’t packed yet, and reflected on the past few months. 

“I am glad she recovered.” Maud folded her hands behind her head and stared at the ceiling. “From what the fourth years said, she was in a bad way.”

“You’re probably not as glad as Miss Cackle is.”, Enid pointed out. “Can you believe they’re a couple now?”

None of the students knew exactly how it had happened, though of course there was no end of theories. But over the course of the two weeks, HB had been ill; there had been a change in her relationship with their principal. No announcement was made, but then again, none had been necessary, it was there, plain as day for everyone to see. Love. From their walks together in the evening, how they sat and stood just a little bit closer during assemblies and in the dining hall, it was obvious. And if there was any doubt, the looks they shared when they thought nobody was watching was all the proof required. 

“I hope they’re happy.”, Mildred sighed. 

“I think they are.” Maud nodded. “Don’t say I said this but I overheard Miss Cackle telling Miss Bat that they were going away to Scotland for the holidays. She seemed very excited about it.”

“Wow, two weeks alone with…. Miss Hardbroom.” Mildred and her friends quickly stood up as their teacher’s face loomed over them. 

“Just as I suspected.”, Hecate kept her voice low as she inspected the room. “Nothing packed and this bedroom still looks like a pigsty.”

“I was just doing it, Miss.”, Mildred spluttered. “Maud and Enid were helping me.”

“Oh?”, Hecate raised an eyebrow. “Is that what you were doing? I could have sworn you were gossiping.”

“No Miss, I mean, yes, I mean sorry Miss.”

“You have thirty minutes to get yourself organised before your mother gets here.”, Hecate smirked as she slowly vanished. “And don’t delay Mildred, I have a trip to go on.”

She was still smiling to herself as she appeared in her bedroom, partly from the looks on the girls’ faces, but mainly because she had something so special to look forward to. As soon as everyone had gone home, she and Ada were making the trip to the Cackle family cottage where they would spend two weeks blissfully alone.

“Except for you and Pendell of course.” Hecate gently scratched behind Morgana’s ear. “We couldn’t leave you behind could we?”

As Morgana purred with contentment, Hecate allowed herself a few minutes to ponder the past few months. It wasn’t how she would have chosen to start their relationship, but as Ada had pointed out once, when you started from rock bottom you could only go up. And she had been correct. 

Physically Hecate had recovered well from her accidental overdose and general neglect of her body. However mentally she recognised that it wouldn’t be quite that simple. Albeit reluctantly, she had spoken to the doctor who had gently suggested she might benefit from some mild magical mood levellers. They weren’t enough to make a significant change, but she couldn’t deny they made her feel more like her true self. As did opening up, both to the doctor and of course, to Ada who patiently listened as she stumbled over the words needed to describe her feelings. 

In a way, it helped to know that she wasn’t the only one with dark thoughts, that Ada too felt worried or overwhelmed at times. It also helped to understand that it was okay to retreat into a happy place in your mind, but it was even better when that happy place was never more than a short walk or transportation away from you. 

And although she may not always display it in the most obvious way, Hecate was extremely happy. Thoughts of the reasons for her happiness floated through her mind, all revolving around Ada and how they spent their time together. Evenings spent talking, or sometimes just reading in each other’s company, meals shared together, sometimes with the others but the really special ones alone. Walks around the castle grounds, through the woodland area or sometimes even further afield into the nearby town where they would go for afternoon tea, a couple of times even for dinner. 

One Sunday Ada had surprised her by taking her to visit the Magical Museum near Stonehenge. For hours they had walked around, taking in as much of the displays as they could and discussing their favourites over tea when they finished.

“I haven’t been there since I was a young girl.”

“As long as you enjoyed it.” Ada smiled when Hecate had shyly thanked her for her thoughtfulness. 

“I loved it." Then Hecate, still not quite able to believe that she was allowed to do so, leaned in for a kiss. "I love you.”

There were also the nights they spent together, not every night, though both wished it could be. But weekend nights, perhaps even a couple during the week, found both women sharing a bed. It had started during Hecate’s recovery and without any real discussion had become something they just did. 

So far it had just been sleeping. There had been some kissing, some light touching and plenty of holding but as yet; they hadn’t taken the next step. This didn’t worry Hecate, in fact, she liked their slow courtship, as she knew Ada did. But she did have a feeling that this trip could add another element to their relationship. 

And this excited her greatly. 

“Right then.”, she whispered to Morgana. “I can’t just be loitering in my bedroom like a certain Mildred Hubble, can I? There are things to be done.”

With that, she magically packed her bag before transporting it, and herself to the assembly point. 

Ada, who had arrived seconds before, grinned as Hecate made her presence known by organising the students into proper file, ensuring they had the belongings they needed and, in a caring move that many students wouldn’t recognise, that they were wrapped up against the cold December air. 

_“I’ll be making sure she’s well wrapped up for this trip.”_ , Ada told herself before another thought crept in. _“And maybe not so wrapped up afterwards._ ” She giggled to herself at the slightly naughty thought but recognised that when it came to Hecate, she couldn’t help herself. She hadn’t felt this way for decades, and she was thoroughly enjoying being in a relationship.

Despite their unusual start, she had been correct in what she had said; things had only gotten better. In Hecate, she had found a partner who was surprisingly tactile and despite any denials, very romantic. Every morning since they had become a couple, whether they stayed together or not, Ada had awoken to find a cup of tea and a flower waiting for her. She was also in awe of how Hecate opened up to her, her honesty encouraging the same in Ada, who felt free to discuss the many hurts she had felt at the hand of her sister over the years. 

Another outcome of sharing her feelings meant that Ada found that she was less likely to use food as a comfort. She still enjoyed her meals and sweet treats, but they were no longer the crutch they had been for so long. The weight gained during their misunderstanding as they referred to it had dropped off. Her clothes were looser, and although she had no plans to change herself too much, she had resolved to take better care of herself. 

_“I want as long as possible with her.”_ , Ada thought as she briefly caught Hecate’s eye. Then, forcing herself to focus on the task at hand, she escorted the girls out to meet their waiting parents.

Thankfully this year there were no delays in the handover process. The parents were on time, even Mildred’s mother who sped into the grounds just before the collection deadline. 

“Bye Miss Cackle.” Mildred waved as she hopped into the front seat. “Bye Miss Hardbroom. Hope you enjoy your trip.”

“Thank you, Mildred.” Hecate, though embarrassed, gave a brief nod to the retreating student before becoming aware of a hand discreetly hovering under her arm. 

“You must be looking forward to it if you told Mildred and company.”, Ada murmured. 

“Actually.”, Hecate sniffed. “I do believe it was you telling Miss Bat that let the proverbial cat out of the bag.”

“Ah.”

“But yes.” Hecate moved a few inches closer. “I am very much looking forward to our time away.”

Within an hour that time was upon them. Most of the staff had already left, though Algernon and Davina were planning on remaining at the castle for the holidays.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay. I hate to think of you bored here by yourselves.”

“I can think of nothing better.” Davina embraced Ada and discreetly whispered in her ear. “When I’m alone with my Algie I’m never bored, or lonely. I think you might understand that feeling now.” 

“I think I do.” Ada glanced across to where Hecate was talking to Algernon. 

“I am very happy for you. As I told your mother, I see this relationship is being a very positive thing for both of you.”, Davina smiled. “You go off and enjoy yourselves.”

After another hug, Ada gathered Pendell along with her case and led the way to where their broomsticks were waiting for them. 

It was a straightforward flight, and before Hecate knew it, she was inside the cottage. As Ada said, it was basic but very homely and despite its lack of use, spotless.

“I may have popped up here during the week to freshen up a bit.” Ada blushed. “I wanted to make sure it was too your standards; I know you’re a stickler for cleanliness.”

“It more than meets my standards.” Hecate cast her eyes around the room, taking in the large, full bookcase, the open fire, the couch covered with several comfortable looking pillows and blankets, and finally, the view. “It's lovely.”

“I’m glad you think so.” Ada grinned before walking to what Hecate assumed was the kitchen area. “I also arranged for some food to be transported over. Ahh, it’s here. There are a few places in the locality where we can eat, but I thought tonight I would cook for us. Is stew alright with you?”

Already having sampled several of the meals that Ada had made, by hand, in the castle kitchens, Hecate nodded. “Please. How can I help?”

“You can get the fire in the sitting room going if you don’t mind, that will soon get the whole place nice and cosy. Oh, and there’s a bottle of red wine in the rack there, you might pass that over to me.”

“For the stew?”

“No, I have another one for that.” Ada laughed. “For me, I do enjoy a glass of wine while I cook.”

“But it’s only…” Hecate glanced at her pocket watch. “Four o’clock.”

“So what? We’re on holidays. Don't worry, I'll pour you one as well. And Hecate, get yourself out of those clothes.”

“Pardon.”

Ada blushed as she realised how her words might have sounded. “I meant into something more comfortable…. I mean.”

Deciding to let her….Girlfriend? Significant Other?, she still wasn’t sure of the correct terminology, off the hook, Hecate put on her best fake exasperated face. “I suppose I have something suitable.”

With the sound of Ada’s chuckles in her ears, she re-entered the sitting room and cast the fire lighting spell, much, she noticed to the relief of Morgana and Pendell who instantly made themselves at home in front of the hearth. Then, levitating both bags, she made her way upstairs where she found two bedrooms. Both had large double beds and a shared bathroom, and for a moment she was stuck. They hadn’t discussed sleeping arrangements, but she had hoped they would be sharing. 

Deciding that the worst that could happen would be having to move a bag, she deposited both cases and quickly changed into a looser black dress she had packed. Part of her thought that maybe she should be a little bit more dressed up, especially if tonight was going to be as they said, the night, but she decided against it. Ada was dressed in her most comfortable skirt and top and regardless, if they did take things further, she knew Ada wouldn’t care if she was dressed in a sack. 

_"Or anything at all."_ , she smirked to herself thinking back to some of the ways she had noticed Ada looking at her over the past few months. Ways she had most certainly looked at Ada in return. 

With that thought in her mind, Hecate went back downstairs only to find that glass of wine waiting for her on the coffee table along with a book she had wanted to read, onee that had just been published and so could not have been languishing in the bookshelf for years. 

“Thank you.”, she smiled when Ada joined her a short time later. “You do spoil me.”

“You’re worth spoiling.”, Ada responded simply. “The stew will take a couple of hours, can I get you something in the meantime?”

“No thank you.” Hecate could see the concern in Ada’s eyes, the worry that she hadn’t eaten enough that day. “I had some fruit before we left and I know I'll be hungry when we do eat.”

“Alright then.” Ada took her intended book from the shelf and allowed herself to relax. Like Hecate she had thoughts about the evening ahead and what it may entail.

What it actually did entail was a delicious meal with lovely conversation, the best part of two bottles of wine and two Witches with their legs tangled together, exhausted from a long term, asleep in front of the fire by 9 PM. It was only Morgana tapping at her nose that woke Hecate just after midnight. 

She looked across to where Ada was asleep at the other end of the couch and smiled fondly. Things may not have gone entirely as planned but that was okay, they had lots of time, and what they needed to do now was sleep. Guessing by the fact that Ada hadn’t commented on the location of their bags, she was happy with the sleeping arrangements, Hecate transported them both upstairs, cast a spell to change them into nightclothes and settled down to go to sleep properly 

“I’m sorry my love.” Ada looked sheepish as Hecate woke her with a cup of tea and some toast the following morning. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you.”

“I believe we both fell asleep on each other.” Hecate shrugged. “But no harm, I must say I’m feeling remarkably refreshed. How about you?”

“The same.” Ada, already feeling a chill in the air, snuggled back under the covers. “I thought we might venture outside today, not too far, just to the nearby village. From what I remember they have some pretty buildings and a marvellous bookshop.” She smiled, seeing the reaction out of the corner of her eye. “I thought that might pique your interest; it’s a good job too, somehow I can’t see you taking too long to power through the ones downstairs.”

Hecate laughed, she had finished three the day before, so the chance to get some more was something she wanted to take. And that wasn’t the only reason; she liked going out with Ada, being with her in public even if people didn’t know they were a couple. She also enjoyed being amongst strangers who didn’t know her as “HB. To them, she could be anyone, and that made her feel almost as powerful as magic did. 

It was after six when they returned having taken their time exploring the area, even going for lunch in a thatched pub just outside the village. 

“Looks like we made it back just in time.”, Ada observed as she looked out the window. “It’s starting to snow.”

Sure enough, the short flurries grew faster and more intense until within an hour the area was covered in a blanket of white. 

“It’s a good job we went out today and not tomorrow.” Ada had a feeling they wouldn’t be going too far for a couple of days, at least not by foot. Not that she was worried, in case of emergency they had their magic, and it wasn’t like they needed anything, They were well stocked with food, drink and after today's expedition, books. They’d be fine 

By dinnertime, they were both becoming peckish again. Luckily there was plenty of stew left to go with the crusty bread they had bought during their trip. 

It was as they were eating that a thought occurred to Hecate, one that the previous day she had been too tired to ponder. She was here, in a cottage in Scotland with Ada. Again, one of her seemingly improbable fantasies had come true. And later, when as instructed, she sat on the floor in front of the fire, while Ada gently played with her hair in the way she liked, she thought she might burst with happiness. 

“That’s nice.”, she whispered after an indeterminate amount of time. “I love when you do that.”

Ada gave a low chuckle. “That’s good because I love doing it.” It was true; she felt so privileged to see Hecate in this way, hair down, face free of all makeup, wearing her most casual clothing and in a completely relaxed state. 

“I almost don’t want you to stop.”

“I don’t have to.”

“You do.” As hard as it was, Hecate found the strength to move. “Because I want to kiss you.”

“Oh.” Ada, finding herself suddenly with a lapful of Hecate Hardbroom had no complaints about this turn of events. She had been hoping for this, hoping tonight she would actually be awake when they went upstairs, but there were still some doubts. Not about what she wanted but how to ask for it. 

Luckily Hecate had no such reservations. “I want you.”, she whispered into Ada’s ear. “Please, let me have you.”

“Only if I can have you too.”, she breathed before glancing down at the interested looking cats. “It’s probably better if you two stay here, we’ll see you in the morning.” 

Seconds later they were in a similar position in the bedroom. Ada sat on the side of the bed with Hecate in front of her, gazing down with a look of adoration on her face while moving her hands into a familiar position. 

“No.” Ada shook her head. “No spells, let me undress you,” 

“Yes, please.”

Undressing Hecate fully for the first time was a memory Ada knew would remain in the forefront of her mind for the rest of her life. To be the one to reveal the soft, creamy coloured skin, to feel the shudder of pleasure that went through Hecate’s body as she traced her fingers along long legs and a slim, but no longer dangerously so, frame. To uncover dark and already erect nipples that made her mouth water more than any cake could. And when it all became a bit too much for her, to be allowed rest her head on the flat stomach that moved up and down as her lover took in the air she needed. To linger and let herself inhale the intoxicating scent of Hecate was more than Ada could have dreamed of. 

And it only got better as the favour was returned. As much as she wanted to be patient, Hecate was too keen, too eager to have Ada as naked as she was. To feel as much of that beautiful skin against her, to kiss even more of it that she had previously. And she did, she kissed along Ada’s throat, her shoulders, her collarbone along her torso, losing herself for several pleasurable minutes as she kissed and suckled breasts that although looser than her own, were in her mind far more beautiful. She kissed up and down legs that she noticed with amusement were very ticklish before moving back up to kiss lips parted in pleasure. 

Hecate, Ada could already tell, was a skilled lover, she only hoped her own skills wouldn’t disappoint. 

Although the words were not spoken out, Hecate saw the brief look of uncertainty and leaned down to whisper again in Ada’s ear. “Take me; I’m yours.”

Her words lit a fire in Ada who kissed her deeply before flipping their positions, leaving Hecate on her back while Ada lay on her side gazing at her hungrily. They kissed again while Ada inched her hand downwards, noticing with satisfaction the hitch in Hecate’s breath as she trailed her fingers through the patch of dark hair.

“Open your legs.” Ada groaned with pleasure as Hecate obeyed instructions while maintaining eye contact the entire time. “Oh, that’s what I wanted to feel, you’re so wet, so ready for me.”

“I’ve been ready for you for a long time.”, Hecate gasped as finally, Ada’s finger ghosted over her clit. The realisation that the moans she had imagined from her fantasy lover for so long were even better in person was driving her crazy. 

“I’m here now.” Ada bent down to capture the sweet lips once more before moving her head down. What she’d experienced before had only whet her appetite, she needed Hecate’s nipples in her mouth again, otherwise she may well go mad from the craving. 

“Mmm, yes, yes.” The sensation of Ada gently stroking her clitoris while at the same time, kissing sucking, then biting one breast, then the other was perfect for Hecate. She loved how every so often Ada would make eye contact, a look of wonder mixed with desire in her eyes as she did so. She loved how she could vocalise what she wanted without feeling awkward as she had with other partners. 

And she equally loved and hated how when she begged “more, more, please give me more”, a smirking Ada teased her by slowly stroking her entrance for what seemed like an eternity before entering her with two, then three fingers. Hecate groaned as Ada moved slowly at first, then faster, all the while hitting that secret spot until she was shaking with desire. Then, when she was right on the edge, Ada none-to-gently flicked her clitoris with her thumb and brought her to possibly the most intense orgasm she could ever remember having.

As for Ada, seeing Hecate come was even more beautiful than she could have imagined. Her cheeks flushed, her eyes grew wide before screwing up in pleasure while her back arched off the bed. And the sounds, they were just an added bonus, especially when it was her own name repeated over and over again. “Ada, Ada, Ada.”

“Come here.”, Hecate beckoned when she came finally down from her high. “I haven’t kissed you in so long.”

“It’s just been a few minutes.” Ada sniggered while still doing what she was told and moving back up towards her partner. 

“Far too long, though it was for a very, very pleasurable reason. Now it’s your turn.” She wanted to pleasure Ada more than she could ever remember wanting anything before. She needed her to feel just as good as she did. Still buzzing from her orgasm, she retraced her path from earlier, noting that Ada seemed to like a mix of gentle kisses, rougher nips and a touch of suckling, just as she did. She paid particular attention to Ada’s tummy area, knowing it was something that her partner had confessed to being self-conscious of and wanting to show her that to her, it was beautiful like every other inch of Ada’s body. She kissed eagerly along a silver stretch mark that trailed from her belly button down to her pubic mound and then, she kept on kissing. 

“Ohhhhhh.” Ada gasped as she felt the first lick along her folds. Somehow, in everything she had imagined about this first time, she hadn’t considered that Hecate would do that straight away.

“Is this alright? I can stop.” Suddenly Hecate wasn’t sure if she and Ada wanted the same thing. Had she yet again misinterpreted everything?

“Oh, my love, it is more than alright.” Ada may not have imagined it, but she certainly wanted it. “Carry on, please carry on.”

And carry on Hecate did, categorising the response to every lick, every little bite, every movement of her tongue and the reactions they caused, each one sounding even better than they had in her dreams. She quickly determined that Ada tasted marvellous and now that she had sampled; she would need to go back for more on a regular basis. 

“Mmmm.”, she hummed with pleasure around Ada’s clit before licking slowly downwards and entering her with her tongue, repeating the pattern, again and again, knowing that she was driving her partner out of her mind.

“Hec….Hecate, I need, Oh….I can’t. I need……”

“What do you need?”, a muffled voice came from between Ada’s thighs while a hand snaked back up her stomach towards her chest.

“Ahhh.” Ada shuddered as Hecate started to squeeze her right breast in tandem with what she was doing with her mouth. “This..you.. I’m almost…..”

Her words turned into a loud scream as at that exact second, Hecate slipped a finger deep inside while focusing her tongue exactly where it was most needed. 

“I… oh… I.” Ada was still trying to catch her breath when Hecate crawled back up the bed, a smug grin on her face. “That was rather wonderful.”

“It was.” Hecate agreed, softly adding. “I love you very much.”

“And I love you, my dear.”

“May I kiss you again?”

“You may do anything you want with me.”

Over the next two weeks, Hecate did indeed take Ada up on that offer, of course allowing the same freedom in return which led to the both experiencing things that even their wildest fantasies hadn’t granted then. 

Ada, to her lover’s extreme delight, was remarkably inventive when it came to combining two of their greatest passions, magic and each other. 

“I’ve never done this before.”, Hecate confessed as they tried one of Ada’s more creative suggestions. 

“Neither have I.” Ada’s words were muffled as she buried her face in Hecate’s neck, breathing in her scent as she pleasured her. “But I knew I wanted to do it with you. And it does seem to be working doesn’t it?”

“Yes, it..certainly does, ooohhh right there.” 

Ada took her two orgasms and Hecate’s three to be irrefutable proof that her thought was even better in action. 

There were other benefits as well. For Ada, the still slightly lingering worries of being too old or not attractive enough were banished. Not just because their relationship had become sexual, though seeing how much Hecate enjoyed what did help. It was simply the love she felt showered with that was enough to make her feel both beautiful and ageless. 

In Hecate’s case, Ada made her feel free. Free to share her hopes, her dreams, her desires but also free to be herself. The mix of the sarcastic, overly dramatic at sometimes, a bit too particular at others, Miss Hardbroom. But also, the kind, caring, affectionate, sensitive, loving, silly, passionate Hecate that she shared with the person she trusted most in the world. Ada.

The two weeks gave them both so much. Neither would forget the moment Morgana and Pendell first set their paws in the snow. Pendell running straight out to play but returning not long after demanding snuggles with Hecate. Morgana, on the other hand, had been reluctant but once she was out wouldn’t come back until eventually, Ada had the bright idea to bribe her with some fish. 

On the subject of food, they burned so much energy together that even Hecate found herself hungry on a regular basis. As well as indulging herself in the delicious food Ada made; she found herself shyly asking to be taught a few simple recipes so that she may return the favour in the future. Ada was thrilled with the idea and after a few false starts declared the toasted sandwich and mushroom soup one of the finest meals she’d had in ages. 

“It’s nothing compared to what you can cook. I can manage the most complex potions, but for some reason, food is beyond me.” Hecate was frustrated that she couldn’t do more. 

“No.”, Ada argued. “It was perfect. But if you do want to learn more challenging recipes, I will teach you.” She wrapped her arms around Hecate’s waist and started to nuzzle at her neck. “Though I warn you, it may take some time as there will be a lot of this involved in my teaching plan.”

“That’s quite all right with me.” Hecate allowed herself to be turned, then pushed on to the table where she prepared to make another memory with her beloved. 

There were other special moments too. When the snow eased off, there were romantic walks, more trips into the village and even further afield to eat and explore before returning to their little sanctuary to take a hot bath with maximum body contact. Every night there was kissing, and on a couple of occasions, a whole lot more, in front of the fire. It was as they made love, bathed in the firelight, that Ada discovered just how flexible Hecate was.

“How can you bend your spine that far back?”, she wondered aloud while running her hands along Hecate’s glowing skin. 

“It’s a skill, it comes in handy at times, especially when one needs to check on unruly teenagers.”

“Shhh.”, Ada hushed her. “Let’s not talk about them, especially not when you could be demonstrating exactly how your flexibility can benefit me.”

By the time they needed to say goodbye to the cottage they had so many memories and also, for Ada, a chance to relive old ones with someone new. 

“I must bring this back to show the others.” Ada held up a photograph, one Hecate hadn’t seen yet and was rewarded with one of her favourite sounds in the world, Hecate’s laughter. 

“She looks like she swallowed a swarm of bees,” Hecate eventually managed. “You were right, that is one of the most amusing pictures I’ve ever seen.”

They both paused for a moment, remembering the night the picture was mentioned. 

“We’ve come a long way since then.” Ada murmured. “Though there is still one thing I’m not sure about. What do we call each other? Girlfriend, significant other? I never quite know.”

Having been pondering the same thing, Hecate had a suggestion. “I like partner. It sounds more serious, like we’re sharing ourselves rather than just ‘going out’ as girlfriend implies.”

“I like that too.” Ada gave her a quick peck on the cheek. “Well, we’d better go if we’re going to stop off at Mother’s for tea. But we’ll be back. If you’d like to of course?”

“I would.” Hecate feeling bold made another suggestion. “Though, perhaps in the summer break, we can go to the Lake District?”

“Maybe not this summer.” Ada was back to kissing as she saw the disappointed look immediately appear. “Let me finish, I thought spring for the Lakes, and then in summer, we could go abroad. What do you say?

“I say I’ve never really imagined us abroad, but I like the idea.”

“Well my love, luckily for you I’ve imagined it plenty. And I have a lot of ideas; maybe we can talk about them before we go to sleep tonight? Ada took Hecate’s hands in hers. “Turn our thoughts into solid plans for the two of us. Oh, I am sorry.", she glanced down at Morgana and Pendell who were as always, making their presence known. "The four of us." 

"That sounds perfect." Hecate felt no shame at the tears gathering in her eyes. When it came to Ada, she had nothing at all to hide.

Their love had brought them a world filled with possibilities, where anything was possible if you had an active imagination and were brave enough to admit to your deepest desires. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much everyone for your reviews and kind messages on what was my first Hackle story. You're all so lovely and I'm very glad I dipped my toe into the new TWW fandom. 
> 
> More Hackle to come and at the risk of repeating myself, if you have ideas or suggestions for new stories, let me know and I'll see what I can do.


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